There’s a spectacular display of Rowan berries this year, the most plentiful and vibrant I’ve seen for many years, which has got me reflecting on what has always been one of my favourite trees. I love the energy and connection I feel with Rowan.

Rowan, the ‘Lady of the Mountains’ is described as the protector against enchantment and bears a pentagram pattern at the base of the fruit symbolising this protection.

The picture here is of Rowans in a small woodland walk set aside as a place for quiet reflection, in what is otherwise a busy country park. This area is a small grove full of Rowans and a majestic Hawthorn and is a place I often visit with my dog, just to sit and be.

For me though, the blessings of Rowan are bitter-sweet. Many years ago now I was gifted a Rowan sapling by saving tokens from the dog food for my previous dogs. At the time, I had a very small garden and could only plant the sapling in a large pot. Then when I moved to my current house, I planted the Rowan out in my garden. Both my dogs and Rowan grew strong and healthy. The dogs eventually passed away after long and happy lives, but Rowan lived on in their memory. It grew to be a very fine berry laden tree until the farmland behind us ‘flooded’ and drained on to our land, the tree became water logged. It didn’t survive. I was upset at the loss of such a beautiful tree, and especially because of Rowan’s connection to my dogs.

Yet Rowan still lives on, with a new lease of life now as my Staff carved with the Luis-Ogam symbol and adorned with other symbols of my path…and holding the memory of my beloved dogs who gifted Rowan to me.

The Silver Birch in my garden also came to me by collecting tokens…from red wine! Birch, is beautiful, strong and thankfully healthy. The place where Rowan grew and died still seems not to let other plants flourish though. I believe the farmland ‘flood’ contained something other than just water. A Yew which subsequently self-seeded there has also not thrived, whereas another Yew seeded close by is blooming, but will have to be kept pruned as I don’t have a big enough plot to nurture a large Yew.

Just wanted to share these reflections, stirred up by the sight of the Rowan berries, but also as I’m currently working more deeply with the energy of all these trees in my Ovate studies.